How Fast Do Airplanes Take Off? - FLYING Magazine (2023)

FAQs

How Fast Do Airplanes Take Off? - FLYING Magazine? ›

Small, single-propeller, four-seater airplanes typically cruise around 125 knots, while the faster military jets can reach speeds in excess of six times the speed of sound. The world's fastest piloted airplane—the rocket-propelled, experimental North American X-15— flew 4,520 mph in 1967, according to NASA.

Typical takeoff air speeds for jetliners are in the range of 240–285 km/h (130–154 kn; 149–177 mph). Light aircraft, such as a Cessna 150, take off at around 100 km/h (54 kn; 62 mph). Ultralights have even lower takeoff speeds.

Hence, the usual speed of aeroplane is 300 km/hr.

With a takeoff speed of roughly 150-180 mph, Delta's Boeing 737-700 fleet needs only a fraction of a typical runway's 10,000-ft length. Sara Valentini and 487 others like this.

Planes accelerate between 115 mph and 160 mph (185 km/h – 257 km/h or 100 -140 knots) on the runway. But, the exact acceleration depends on the plane's model, outside temperature, and other factors. Generally speaking, commercial planes require the most acceleration to take off, while small planes require the least.

While high winds (a crosswind above 40 mph and a tailwind above 10 mph) can occasionally prevent planes from taking off or landing on time, winds won't put your flight in any danger.

There is no single maximum wind limit as it depends on the direction of wind and phase of flight. A crosswind above about 40mph and tailwind above 10mph can start to cause problems and stop commercial jets taking off and landing. It can sometimes be too windy to take-off or land.

How Fast Does a 747 Go To Take Off? A typical takeoff speed for a Boeing 747 is around 160 knots (184 mph), depending on the jet's wing flap configuration, the number of passengers aboard, and the weight of their luggage, fuel load, current weather conditions, and other factors.

As the plane descends into ground effect, it may actually accelerate if the engines are producing enough thrust, since in ground effect the plane requires much less power to keep "flying". Power from the engines will translate into speed, if not height.

But how many of us have stopped to ask ourselves how high do planes fly? According to USA Today, the common cruising altitude for most commercial airplanes is between 33,000 and 42,000 feet, or between about six and nearly eight miles above sea level. Typically, aircraft fly around 35,000 or 36,000 feet in the air.

Why do planes turn right after takeoff? ›

Airplanes may begin turning immediately after takeoff to reduce noise over urban areas, to avoid high terrain and storm cells, at the request of air traffic control, or to turn & get established on course as soon as possible. Most busy airports will have departure routes to help with traffic flow.

The 747 has a range of 15,000 km (9350 mi) which is nearly halfway round the world. This aircraft allows airlines to reach distant airports in one flight. The 747 can cruise around 50 mph faster than the 737.

It uses the GPS and the Inertial to give an accurate ground speed in knots. Depending on several issues such as landing weight, aircraft configuration, crosswind, gust, etc., the actual touchdown airspeed could be approximately 135 knots.

For the typical single-engine plane, you'll be able to fly around 140 mph (122 knots). However, some of the more advance single-engine airplanes, like the Pilatus PC-12 NGX, have a top speed of 334 mph (290 knots).

Aerophobia is a fear of flying. It's very common, affecting more than 25 million adults in the U.S. Psychotherapy can usually help people overcome their fear and fly without extreme anxiety or panic attacks. Appointments 866.588.2264. Request an Appointment.

The top speed for commercial planes is generally around Mach 0.85, which is about 650 miles per hour.

Modern aircraft can generate lift regardless of the heaviness of the rain. Planes can and will take off and land in the rain. The only real problem with heavy rainfall is the decrease in visibility for the pilots.

While modern aircraft are capable of flying over, or even through, hurricanes, safety risks remain, and carriers usually halt operations are the affected airports instead.

Yes, planes can fly in rain. Nowadays, airplanes are designed to fly in most weather conditions, even heavy rain. Even small planes can comfortably fly in heavy rain. Rain only becomes a threat when associated with other weather conditions, such as snow, thunderstorms, or ice.

Crosswinds greater than 50-60 km/h may cause airlines to delay or cancel flights. Even lower gusts can trigger flight delays or cancellations if the runways are wet or icy, as stiff winds can reduce a plane's ability to brake on the runway.

Do planes fly in snow? ›

Just because there is winter weather outside, it doesn't mean that planes will suddenly stop flying. As we've discussed above, snow, ice, and bad weather do not hinder a flight. It remains safe to fly as long as precautious and pilot training are both up to date.

With reasonable proficiency, most private pilots can handle surface winds of up to about 20 miles per hour. However, the direction makes a lot of difference, and flight instructors find that one of the most difficult lessons to teach is crosswind landings.

Its range has increased from 5,300 nautical miles (9,800 km) on the -100 to 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) on the -8I.

The approx. 10,700 feet Wikipedia figure is for a fully loaded 747 at sea-level. The lighter the plane, the less runway it needs.

For a typical commercial jet, takeoff lasts only 30 to 35 seconds. If an engine fails or the landing gear jams, the pilot has almost no time at all to decide whether to take off anyway or to try and wrestle a 175,000-pound metal beast to the ground. Rejected takeoffs are rare.

Why dump fuel? The reason to dump fuel is simple: to drop weight. Any given aircraft has a Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) at which it can land, and in most cases that weight is lower than its Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW).

As daylight heating gives way to nighttime cooling, the air generally becomes smoother and convective weather dissipates, providing a better ride for passengers and less work for pilots.

What is Turbulence? The disruption in the air current which helps a plane to fly results in shakes and it is referred to as turbulence. Also known as air pockets, turbulence can cause a sudden loss of altitude temporarily.

Airplanes stay in the air because of one simple fact-- there is no net force on them. And with no net force, an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays that way, even if it's in midair 10 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

Pilots have a unique viewpoint while flying private or commercial aircraft. They get an unobstructed view of stunning natural sights, such as pink lakes and rectangular-shaped icebergs. Some have reported seeing UFOs, while others have flown over swirling hurricanes.

Why do planes fly at 36000 feet? ›

After labor, fuel is the greatest expense for airlines. That's why airlines are constantly working to maximize their fuel efficiency. Cruising at 36,000 feet helps with that. The higher altitude means thinner air.

Answer: The sensation of slowing down is really one of slowing the rate of acceleration; this is due to reducing the thrust after takeoff to the climb setting. The sensation of “dropping” comes from the retraction of the flaps and slats. The rate of climb is reduced, causing it to feel like a descent.

Welcome – Long flight

Welcome on board (flight reference). This is Captain / Co-pilot (your name) speaking and I have some information about our flight. Our flight time today will be (flight duration) and our estimated time of arrival in (destination) is (ETA)local time.

During takeoff, air accelerated behind the prop (known as the slipstream) follows a corkscrew pattern. As it wraps itself around the fuselage of your plane, it hits the left side of your aircraft's tail, creating a yawing motion, and making the aircraft yaw left.

Do pilots prefer Boeing or Airbus? Pilots will always differ in opinion. The general feeling is that Airbus aircraft on the narrowbodies (A320 etc) are slightly more comfortable in terms of space in the flight deck than a 737 for example.

Boeing widebodies

The German flag carrier also flies the modern 747-8, which has a service ceiling of 43,100 ft (13,137 m).

Private aircraft can travel faster than commercial airliners. Part of this has to do with the weight of the jet itself. Private jets weigh less than large commercial aircraft, allowing them to ascend and descend faster than commercial jet.

When taxiing, aircraft travel slowly. This ensures that they can be stopped quickly and do not risk wheel damage on larger aircraft if they accidentally turn off the paved surface. Taxi speeds are typically 16 to 19 kn (30 to 35 km/h; 18 to 22 mph).

Idle thrust is adequate for taxiing under most conditions, but you'll need a slightly higher thrust setting to get the aircraft rolling. Allow time for a response after each thrust change before changing the thrust setting again. Normal straight taxi speed should not exceed 20 knots (10 knots in turns).

Are pilots allowed to fly faster? ›

A pilot would not get pulled over, of course. But speeding is considered a serious violation of aviation regulations (unless there's an emergency in-flight).

At night, there's usually fewer flights and fewer passengers, so you can definitely expect faster movements on all lines. If you dislike weaving in and out through crowds, this is one of the best times to fly.

One of the primary reasons for the reduction in flight speed is fuel efficiency. As the cost of aviation fuel has risen over the years, airlines have sought ways to minimize fuel consumption, and flying at slower speeds has proven to be an effective method.

People often come to us requesting the doctor or nurse to prescribe diazepam for fear of flying or assist with sleep during flights. Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed.

Key Takeaways. Flying is still considered to be the safest way to travel, but accidents can happen. Roughly, there are between 70-90 plane crashes per year worldwide, including both commercial planes and privately-owned ones.

What is androphobia? People who have androphobia have a fear of men. Phobia means fear, and “andros” is the Greek word for man. A person with androphobia experiences extreme anxiety or fear of men.

The MacCready Gossamer Condor is a human-powered aircraft capable of flight as slow as 8 miles per hour (13 km/h).

Concorde. The Concorde was a supersonic jet that could fly at speeds of up to 1,354 mph (2,179 km/h), making it the fastest commercial airliner ever built.

A jet airliner flies at 300 mph for the first half hour and last half hour of a flight. The rest of the time it flies at 600 mph.

How Fast Does a 747 Go To Take Off? A typical takeoff speed for a Boeing 747 is around 160 knots (184 mph), depending on the jet's wing flap configuration, the number of passengers aboard, and the weight of their luggage, fuel load, current weather conditions, and other factors.

At what speed do most planes land? ›

Landing. While landing, speed is largely affected by the aircrafts current weight, commercial airplanes typically land between 130 and 160 mph (112 to 156 knots).

A Boeing 747 under standard conditions must be going 296kph (184 mph) to take off. Additionally, weather factors can affect the ground speed need for takeoff. For example, a headwind will reduce the ground speed needed.

A 747 'Jumbo Jet' would typically land at a speed of about 145kts-150kts (166mph-172mph), depending on the landing flap setting selected.

During the takeoff of a fighter jet from the horizontal runway of an aircraft carrier, the jet attains a speed v = 72.7 m / s as its rolls a distance d = 86.4 m just before it leaves the deck.

Answer: Most takeoffs use "derated" thrust to save engine wear. For each takeoff, performance is calculated, the necessary power setting is determined and the thrust setting is made.

Wake turbulence poses a major risk to other aircraft, so pilots and ATC use the term “heavy” in radio transmissions as a reminder that the aircraft's wake may be dangerous to others passing behind or below the flightpath of these larger-mass aircraft.

Generally speaking, flying at higher altitudes means higher airspeed because of less drag. Of course, the type of aircraft you are flying will come into play as you work with flying at different altitudes, as will the amount of weight you are carrying.

Hard landings can be caused by weather conditions, mechanical problems, overweight aircraft, pilot decision and/or pilot error. The term hard landing usually implies that the pilot still has total or partial control over the aircraft, as opposed to an uncontrolled descent into terrain (a crash).

The maximum height that a commercial airplane is allowed to reach when they fly is 42,000 feet, as this is the universally approved maximum altitude. This max altitude for airplanes is known as the “service ceiling.” Most commercial air jets fly at such a high altitude because it is known to optimize efficiency.

When landing, however, pilots may use the reverse thrust feature. Reverse thrust changes the direction of the engines' thrust. Rather than projecting out the rear, the thrust will be projected out the front. This reversal of thrust provides deceleration that allows airplanes to slow down more quickly when landing.

Why do pilots say rotate when taking off? ›

During the takeoff roll, the pilot monitoring the displays (PM) will call out the two important speeds: V1 and rotate. This indicates to the pilot flying the aircraft (PF) when they are beyond the safe stopping speed and when to rotate the aircraft into the air.

Larger turboprop aircraft have propellers that can be adjusted to produce rearward thrust after touchdown, rapidly slowing the aircraft. Commercial jet transport aircraft come to a halt through a combination of brakes, spoilers to increase wing drag and thrust reversers on the engines.